The Russian army is advancing with overwhelming force. It will certainly eliminate Ukraine’s political leadership and remain an occupying force for years. Yet my heart was warmed by the elderly Ukrainian lady who handed a Russian soldier sunflower seeds with the request that he put them in his pocket so they would grow on Ukrainian soil. This spirit thrives despite the West’s abandonment of Ukraine after promising in 1994 to protect it in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons. We should be more like them. Their spirit may well ultimately cause Putin to regret his aggression. Fraught times for sure, but never underestimate the human spirit.
The Indomitable Human Spirit (On Display in The Ukraine)
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That lady’s trash talk game is legendary.
And she’s got bigger balls than about every elected official in Europe.
How pissed do you think the Ukraine leadership is at Hunter right now? I guess the Russian oligarchs bought a lot of art.
And she’s got bigger balls than about every elected official in Europe.
How pissed do you think the Ukraine leadership is at Hunter right now? I guess the Russian oligarchs bought a lot of art.
How many Americans do you think are willing to die for Ukraine? Putin's not impressed by people with seeds and flowers.
Brave woman.
[FONT="]Ukrainian Woman Marches Up To Armed-Russian Soldier And Offers Him Sunflower Seeds To Put In His Pocket So They'll Bloom When He Dies On Their Soil https://t.co/3CB9dt5WmL pic.twitter.com/0KveGGKc09— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 25, 2022 [/FONT]
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Hearts and minds. Putin may not care about a lady with seeds but the question is whether Putin can really have what he takes. See Soviet Union v Afghanistan. And then US occupation there. Both left with tails between legs.
I agree with that as a possiblity. Super powers can lose wars or just give up because it's not worth the effort or resources. But are Ukrainians as committed as the Taliban? I don't think so. Afghanistan is unique and Ukrainians aren't Muslim extremists.
Not many are willing to "die for Ukraine." But millions are willing to put their lives on the line to defend the weak, stomp out a ruthless dictator, and protect the freedom of a struggling democracy. Just like the millions upon millions who did so before them.
It's very clear to see many people do not believe in peace through strength. It very clear to see that many people don't have the human empathy to protect the weak. Russia is the single biggest military threat to the United States.
To quote a great man... "We are the leader of the free world whether we want to be or not, therefore, we are the only ones that can preserve the peace...War comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, it is when they are weak that tyrants are tempted... But let our friends and those who may wish us ill take note, the United States has an obligation to it's citizens and the people of the world, never to let those that will destroy freedom, dictate the future course of life on this planet."
Putin says he's fighting Nazis in Ukraine. He sounds like the woke left here and in Canada (see Trudeau). All Putin needs to do now is say he's promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in Ukraine, give some cash to BLM or Kaepernick, and he's gonna be a hero to the woke left and everyone on MSNBC.
Come on dorn. You’re intelligent. Don’t pretend you don’t understand the context of that conversation.
Afghanistan is not unique. It's a nearly impossible task to defeat any people that believe in protecting their way of life. Ukraine has shown early signs they have that will. A few examples:
Finland vs Russia Winter War
Greece vs Italy WW2
North Vietnam vs US
Texas War of Independence
American Revolution
Countless others. Turns out Ukrainians want to be free. Good luck trying to enslave a free people with the will and even the slightest ability to fight back. Russia better not quit moving. Once they stop and try to hold ground for a decent amount of time, they're 17ed.
I don't know **** about basketball, vacation spots in Florida, or the inner workings of Jackson politics. So I don't comment. You should probably take the same approach with discussions about combat.
I'm deep and I'm a thinker, but I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a deep thinker.
I mean no offense, but many here seem to think Russia isn't capable of defeating and holding a country full of Russian speakers on it's border which it held for many decades previously when it was known as the Soviet Union.
I'll simply say I have my doubts you are correct.
I'll simply say I have my doubts you are correct.
Yeah Glory, we were both kinda right a few weeks ago. Russia is moving in columns down the roads like I figured and they are paying for it like you said.
I am honestly underwhelmed by their "air superiority" so far and the strategy. I figured they would send in 10x the ordinance before the ground invasion clearing out any major threats. I guess Putin thought a quick blitz would break the will of the Ukrainian people and their military. He was wrong.
One other thing I know after 2 days. We would kick the ever-living **** out of Russia if need be.
I am honestly underwhelmed by their "air superiority" so far and the strategy. I figured they would send in 10x the ordinance before the ground invasion clearing out any major threats. I guess Putin thought a quick blitz would break the will of the Ukrainian people and their military. He was wrong.
One other thing I know after 2 days. We would kick the ever-living **** out of Russia if need be.
It's very clear you soaked up some cool, soaring rhetoric about freedom that's not even correct (millions upon millions--did you forget countries had to use the draft to build up militaries to fight other countries that actually attacked them?). I don't see millions of people in the democratic West doing this. They have a choice, like in the Spanish Civil War, to volunteer. I bet it will be easy to count the volunteers who go to Ukraine. I do see some bold rhetoric on social media though. I suspect Americans will go back to arguing over vaccine mandates and forget about Ukraine in a relatively short amount of time. Remember Afghanistan? Even Biden said we're not sending in troops. I don't expect any Asian or African countries to do so either. Putin's a thug and dictator and sometimes they get away with it. That's awful. The world is unfair. Look at the number of people murdered in America and we don't have millions of volunteers to join the police. Look at the murderous cartels in a country on our border. You can't even get the NBA to criticize China for putting Uighers in concentration camps. I'd bet millions that millions and millions of freedom lovers don't volunteer to go to Ukraine. I'm watching our Dawgs play this weekend. I do empathize with Ukrainians and wouldn't mind seeing Putin gone. But, I'm watching baseball this weekend and I'm spending time with my family. I gotta pay for college, a mortgage etc. It sucks being Ukrainian right now. Shouldn't have given up those nukes. Edited to take out the unnecesary and inaccurate cheap shot at JoeLee'sSocks.
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It appears to me Russia is going at this at half throttle. I'm not sure of their reason but I would guess to keep Ukranian casualties down for PR sources. Putin is evil and crazy but he's intelligent enough to know he's got the whole world watching and it's going to take more than just military dominance for him to successfully pull this off long term. I may be dead wrong...just my take.
It's O.K. for a deep and a thinker to admit they can't predict someone else's views based on a few posts.
Only a complete moron would question the savvy and intelligence it would take rise through the ranks of the KGB the way Putin did. They are led by a brutal, shrewd killer. We elected an old fool because he seemed like a nice grandpa who wouldnt say anything mean. Meanwhile, the last guy, as abrasive and bullheaded as he was, projected strength and a don’t 17 with us attitude. Which is why our enemies didn’t act up from 2016-2020.
You're probably right. He's an evil 17, but he's far far more savvy than our current and previous presidents, which is sad.
JoeLee, I agree with what you're saying but my concern, if the US and/or NATO were to get involved what would Putin's response be? As long as things remain in a conventional warfare state the US and NATO could drive Russia out of the Ukraine. Would Putin allow himself to be defeated like this? He strikes me as unstable enough to consider and maybe even use nukes. That's what concerns me and that is the big gamble if NATO gets involved.
For the record I wish the US and NATO would show a united front against Putin but I doubt they will.
Yeah. Afgnistan is not unique. It's just like Denmark. Now do American Indians who fought to protect their way of life. How'd that work out? BTW, do you use only a few examples that kinda support your views and some not really well? Weren't the Germans committed to protecting their way of life in WWII? It didn't work out for them, btw. It didn't work out for Japan either. Their way of life they fought for is no more. This is pretty silly.
Finland vs Russia Winter War
FYI, Finland lost. Fought well but lost. Finland then allied with Nazi Germany, btw. Freedom and our way of life indeed
Greece vs Italy WW2
Beating Italy at war is no great feat. Greece lost to the Nazis. They weren't liberated until the Nazi collapse
North Vietnam vs US
Their way of life? Or anti-colonialism combined with communism and a lot of material support from the Soviet Union. But, this is a better example than your earlier ones.
Texas War of Independence
The way of life in Texas? Seriously? Mexico was a ****** military power. And, because it was the southwest and once part of Mexico, can't this be looked at as hispanics and indigeneous people not being able to protect their way of life
American Revolution
o.k. Worked out well for Native Americans too. Our way of life, btw, was a lot like the British way of life at the time.
Finland vs Russia Winter War
FYI, Finland lost. Fought well but lost. Finland then allied with Nazi Germany, btw. Freedom and our way of life indeed
Greece vs Italy WW2
Beating Italy at war is no great feat. Greece lost to the Nazis. They weren't liberated until the Nazi collapse
North Vietnam vs US
Their way of life? Or anti-colonialism combined with communism and a lot of material support from the Soviet Union. But, this is a better example than your earlier ones.
Texas War of Independence
The way of life in Texas? Seriously? Mexico was a ****** military power. And, because it was the southwest and once part of Mexico, can't this be looked at as hispanics and indigeneous people not being able to protect their way of life
American Revolution
o.k. Worked out well for Native Americans too. Our way of life, btw, was a lot like the British way of life at the time.
The fact is, Putin is savvy and time will tell if he’s a genius. If he succeeds in annexing Ukraine and can assimilate the population then he is a genius. If he returns the citizenry to some semblance of their normal pre war lives, then the insurgence will die and fade. The EU isn’t going to hold his feet to the fire because they are dependent on Russia for fuel and gas. We aren’t going to stop him because we are three presidents removed from an administration that would confront him. Biden didn’t make this country weak, the generations born after WW2 made this country weak. We have no memory of this country uniting and sacrificing for war as one. Since then we’ve always been divided along ideological lines. We’ve become a country that if I don’t agree with you about one thing, then you must be wrong about everything.
LOL I can just hear Putin talking to one of his aids after one of his buddy buddy exchanges with Trump. Aid: He seems like such a nice guy. Putin: I wouldn't trust that mofo as far as I could throw him. THEN After a convo with Biden. Aid: What did he say ? Putin: 17 if I know.
I know literally zero not-trumpers who rail about the "woke left", so congrats on being a unicorn.
They never held the Ukraine. Ukrainian Bolsheviks overthrew the government in Ukraine in 1922. They wanted to be apart of the USSR.
There is no chance in hell Russia holds Ukraine if the Ukrainian's mount an insurgency. The ability for everyday people to communicate today vs even 20 years ago makes it 1 million times easier to coordinate an insurgency.
The internet, social media, and technology are a game changer. Putin's got 3 options in my opinion.
Best option.
1. He can try to negotiate a full surrender of Donbask from Ukraine and pull his troops out of the rest of Ukraine. Maybe get a no NATO deal.
Bad option.
2. He can try to take out the government and put in his own loyalists. But the Army will not likely follow and the people will revolt. If Zalenskey is killed he will be a rallying cry for decades.
Worst Option
3. Try to occupy. You think the language is benefit for Putin, but it's actually a negative. Most soldiers, Russian soldiers included, follow orders because they think they are doing the right thing. As soon as you stop fighting and try to occupy, you develop relationships. Putin will lose the narrative with his own soldiers. They will quickly realize they didn't overthrow a dictator, but a comedian trying to do right by his people.
Not to mention, there are so many Ukrainian's. 20x the entire Taliban in military age veterans alone. They will set ambushes, use IED's, and of course we are going to feed them shitloads of hardware.
But the biggest issue is money. Russia was already too broke. After sanctions it will be impossible to financially support an occupation of that size for more than a few months. If that.
There is no chance in hell Russia holds Ukraine if the Ukrainian's mount an insurgency. The ability for everyday people to communicate today vs even 20 years ago makes it 1 million times easier to coordinate an insurgency.
The internet, social media, and technology are a game changer. Putin's got 3 options in my opinion.
Best option.
1. He can try to negotiate a full surrender of Donbask from Ukraine and pull his troops out of the rest of Ukraine. Maybe get a no NATO deal.
Bad option.
2. He can try to take out the government and put in his own loyalists. But the Army will not likely follow and the people will revolt. If Zalenskey is killed he will be a rallying cry for decades.
Worst Option
3. Try to occupy. You think the language is benefit for Putin, but it's actually a negative. Most soldiers, Russian soldiers included, follow orders because they think they are doing the right thing. As soon as you stop fighting and try to occupy, you develop relationships. Putin will lose the narrative with his own soldiers. They will quickly realize they didn't overthrow a dictator, but a comedian trying to do right by his people.
Not to mention, there are so many Ukrainian's. 20x the entire Taliban in military age veterans alone. They will set ambushes, use IED's, and of course we are going to feed them shitloads of hardware.
But the biggest issue is money. Russia was already too broke. After sanctions it will be impossible to financially support an occupation of that size for more than a few months. If that.
Apparently the South, or Confederacy, lost because Southerners didn't fight to protect their way of life. The Romans won all their wars because people such as the Gauls and Greeks weren't fighting to protect their way of life. The Ottoman Empire defeated all sorts of peoples who weren't fighting to protect their way of life. The Brits massacred people at Omdurman because they were fighting in the Sudan to protect their way of life unlike the people who lived in the Sudan. Dude, study history and don't fall for fairy tale slogans. America subdued a lot of people who wanted to protect their way of life. Some of them now live on reservations.
It's o.k. to get out more and read a little bit. Maybe you're charming and popular and know half the country. Of maybe not. You do seem adept at stereotyping, though.
The UK loaded them with stingers missile. Those are bad *** plane destroyers. I think what happened Russia lost a few planes and Helo's and got gun shy. Didn't want to lose any more. I suspect the Ukrainians have destroyed bridges and put concrete block along the roads. Also the US gave them Javelins. Those are some bad *** tank killers. You aim, fire, drop it and run like hell. I think the capital will fall but it will be very bloody for the Russian.
Or, after the establishment of Jim Crow segregation, maybe the South won after all and preserved some of its way of life. Perhaps I used a bad example. My point, btw, is that people lose wars for a variety of reasons, some of which are unique to the war and the people and societies fighting them.
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